Noel Gallagher On Beady Eye's Split And Says Liam Should Do A Solo Album

Pre Order Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 'Chasing Yesterday' On Various Formats

Chasing Yesterday is the brand new album from Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and follows the hugely successful debut released in 2011.
It's the first album to be produced and written by Noel and features a much broader array of instrumentation than ever before.

31 May 2007

The man who discovered Oasis has decided to turn his back on traditional record labels.

Creation Records founder Alan McGee is winding down his Poptones imprint, so he can concentrate on acting as an adviser for bands instead.

He believes the future for young acts is in bypassing record companies completely to release their own music.

McGee, who also discovered the Jesus and Mary Chain and more recently managed The Libertines and currently manages Dirty Pretty Things and The Charlatans, claims it's no longer realistic for record labels to profit from new bands.McGee said: "The accountants will make them (the record companies) see sense.

"They'll probably stop signing new groups - new groups will have to develop themselves."

He added: "The best advice I could give to any young band is to do it yourself. Of course the major record companies will come in and sign two or three new bands a year and probably always will, but who'll own the major record companies? Probably a hedge fund."

Over the weekend you guys submitted suggestions for our list of the greatest songs ever hidden away on bad albums. We pooled your nominations with ours, narrowed the whole list down and behold the results: our official list of the twenty-five greatest songs on bad albums.

30 May 2007

Imagine, in your mind, right now, just what 19 million CDs, stacked one on top of the other, in countless piles across a floor that rolls over a distant horizon, would look like. This is how many copies of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory that have been taken from shop shelve to home stereo. Blur may have won the famous singles battle of 1995, with their ‘Country House’ beating ‘Roll With It’ to the top spot (still a sticky subject with old Creation folk), but ultimately Oasis have proved to be the band of the people over the last 13 years. They are recognised by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the most successful band of the last decade.

But just why have Oasis proved so enduringly popular? As their key songwriter, Noel Gallagher, turned 40 earlier this week, an entire nation of twenty-somethings sighed with the realisation that old age was encroaching; the recklessness and naivety of youth is sliding away. The heroes of teenage days and nights are turning the corner into and beyond middle age; the rock still rocks, granted, but just what are we rolling with these days, and why?

Oasis were always designed with popularity in mind – never did the member-fluctuating five-piece claim obscure acts as influences, openly proclaiming their affection for The Beatles, The Kinks and The Rolling Stones. They came from where you and I did, weren’t glamorous nor artsy, and wrote songs that spoke to men and women to be, to the kids and teens of the Tories’ end-of-days. Fists aloft and grins wide, beers spilling and terrace chants. There were no lyrics printed in the sleeve of 1994’s debut album Definitely Maybe, but its songs were immediately embraced as sing-along affairs. ‘Cigarettes And Alcohol’, ‘Supersonic’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ – these were songs – chooons if you must – that encapsulated an era; an era of bright futures but barely tolerable presents, rebellion and lies and the embracing of a political climate on the rise. Noel and Tony and Alan pressing palms at Number 10: everything seemed so perfect as the mid ‘90s trickled and dripped and France ‘98’ed into the almost-millennium.

Just as Oasis were magpies on the prowl for what wasn’t theirs to adapt and exploit for musical gain, a rash of imitators followed in the band’s wake, and continue to do so even today. Liam Gallagher alone has been semi-responsible for the relative success of myriad cocky frontman-led acts – The Twang, Kasabian, The Verve, Hurricane #1, Terris, et cetera, these are (and were) acts dominated by a singer with forced attitude, lifted wholesale from Liam (don’t give me any Ian Brown bollocks – the man was a shadow of what Liam was at his peak). Of course, they paled in comparison to the man himself, though – the reason why Liam Gallagher continues to be admired and aped is because through his variously-rimmed lenses his eyes burn with a raging I mean it honesty. The man is, one suspects, too simple to not believe what he considers his truth, which is a simple and pure one. His brother may have originally written the words, but every syllable of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ was finally forged in the fires of Liam’s belly. He got what he wanted because it’s all he ever believed in. He’s a rock ‘n’ roll star because of a determination that no imitators have accurately replicated.

But, returning to the point of DiScussion: just why have Oasis proved so evergreen? Although their last long-player Don’t Believe The Truth exists in the commercial shadow of much that preceded its release, it’s still shifted around three million copies worldwide, if not more. The album was the band’s first to not be dominated by Noel, with songwriting duties split between members. The move essentially reinvigorated the band, and a succession of positive reviews followed. It was compared, oddly enough, to the Noel-helmed Definitely Maybe, and widely summarised as a return to form. But is it nostalgia that’s stroked the fires of Oasis appreciate once more, a homesickness of sorts for comforting surroundings and circumstances – the band is now in its sixteenth year, and is an act that many music-savvy individuals grew up on – or are they genuinely a force to be reckoned with today? The follow-up to Don’t Believe The Truth is out next year, and a Noel solo album’s in the pipeline – the next twelve months could, conceivably, well and truly make or completely and finally break a band that so many love to hate and far more hate admitting they love.

Happy birthday then, Noel. Those 19 million albums you’ve sold – and that’s not counting five of your six albums! – have set you up for life, but it’s good to see you’re ploughing onwards and, hopefully, upwards; you still, I’m sure, mean it just as much as your kid brother. Sure, you did once say that you wished Damon Albarn would “catch AIDS and die”, but at least you took it back. Good man. You didn’t like Michael Hutchence (“Has-beens shouldn't be presenting awards to gonna-bes,” I believe were your words), but even you know it’s wrong to speak ill of the dead. And we applaud you for your reactions and retractions. Still.

Noel Gallagher had the honour of getting birthday big-ups from a World Cup winner, the Prince of Darkness and the Modfather in my column yesterday.

And now Russell Brand, my Bizarre Shagger of the Year 2006, has pitched in to send his greetings all the way from Hawaii where he is filming a movie.

The celeb swordsman quipped: “Happy 40th birthday, eternal rebel, poet laureate of the yob, scribbler of anthems, with the eyebrows of a neanderthal but the soul of Neil Young. Now for God’s sake, hand over Sara MacDonald. You’ve had a good run but you’re a very old man now. Give her and the baby a chance of a better life.

“I’ll even raise it to be a lout, unless tests prove that it is, after all, mine.”

I’m sure there is something going on between those two (Russell and Noel, that is).

One more special greeting arrived at Bizarre HQ for Noel — from Yoko Ono.

Don't Believe the Truth is the sixth studio album by Oasis, released on May 30, 2005. It reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of just under 238,000. The album entered the U.S. charts at #12, the highest any Oasis album has reached there since 1997 with Be Here Now, although its chart stay was brief. The album went triple platinum in the UK in the first week of 2006, and is the ninth fastest selling album there. As of August 2006, Don't Believe the Truth has sold approximately 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Every member of the band contributed to the writing of tracks for the album, and the album is the first where all duties were divided between the bandmembers. On some of the tracks regular bass player Andy Bell handled guitar, while Gem and Noel contributed bass to other songs. Don't Believe the Truth is the first Oasis record to feature the drumming of Zak Starkey, who replaced Oasis' longtime member Alan White.

Liam also had a larger impact on the album by his developing songwriting. Noel has said that this album is his favourite of Oasis' last four, because all members have contributed to it. This, he claims, has given it a different feel to a typically Noel-written Oasis album.

The band embarked on a massive world-wide tour and started off at the London Astoria for their Don't Believe the Truth Tour.

Recording

The recording process for Don't Believe the Truth was prolonged. The album was originally supposed to be released around summer/autumn 2004, with an initial 3-4 week session produced by Death in Vegas. The recording finally began after Alan White's departure in January 2004 at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, the same place where Oasis had recorded their debut album Definitely Maybe. These sessions were completed but the band weren't happy with the results.

Noel has commented since on numerous occasions that there was no problem with the work done by Death In Vegas, but he felt the songs they were working on were simply not good enough to form a record, and felt a break was needed in which new material would have to be written. In Noel's words: "we were trying to polish a turd". Around 10 tracks were worked on with Death In Vegas of which, according to Noel, 6 were "not even good enough to make the b-sides". Four of the tracks which eventually appeared on the album were worked on with Death In Vegas, those songs being: "Turn Up The Sun", "Mucky Fingers", "A Bell Will Ring" and "The Meaning of Soul", although all of these had extra work done to them or were re-recorded before being released.

After a short break in which many new songs, including "Let There Be Love", "Lyla" and "Part Of The Queue" were written, the band reconvened at their Wheeler End Studios with Noel as producer. The band were joined on these sessions by The Who's drummer Zak Starkey. In June 2004, Oasis debuted two new songs from these sessions, the Liam-written "The Meaning of Soul" and the Gem-written "A Bell Will Ring" at two live shows in Poole and at the Glastonbury Festival.

After hearing of the band's production problems from Oasis manager Marcus Russell, American producer Dave Sardy expressed interest in taking over production duties. Sardy was given tapes of existing recording sessions to mix, and after his work was praised by the band, he arrived in the UK to oversee new recording sessions at Olympic Studios in London. These sessions didn't last long before he asked the band to travel to Los Angeles and re-record most of the album there, as he felt more comfortable working in a studio closer to home. With the band eventually agreeing to this, recording sessions began at Capitol Studios in October 2004 with the band spending around 9 weeks there.

Release

The decision to have the leadoff single, "Lyla", on the album was a controversial one, prompted by the label's feeling that there wasn't a suitable lead single among the tracks originally presented. As a result, the decision was taken to record "Lyla", a song which Noel had written and demoed a year previously, but which wasn't recorded by the band during the previous recording sessions. It was decided that Dave Sardy would remix Noel's original demo with Liam recording a set of lead vocals and Zak adding a fresh drum track. "Lyla" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number nineteen on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. After having initial reservations about the choice of the first single being taken out of the hands of the band, Noel, who initially wanted "Mucky Fingers" to be the first single, has now reluctantly conceded that the song has indeed "done the business".

In April 2005, four tracks from a promo disc leaked: "The Meaning of Soul", "Mucky Fingers", "Keep the Dream Alive", and "Let There Be Love". The full album found its way onto the Internet on May 3, 2005, when Apple Inc. accidentally put the album up early for sale on their iTunes Music Store service in Germany. While there was no official comment by Apple or by Oasis management, it was speculated that Apple simply got "May 30" confused with "May 03" or "May 3".

Watch the promo video for Lyla HEREWatch the promo video for The Importance Of Being Idle HEREWatch the promo video for Let There Be Love HERE

"I DO all the work so it's only right I should get the most money. Plus I am the most handsome.""I DON'T steal whole songs. People should at least wait until I'm dead. I at least pay the people I steal from that courtesy."

..ON OTHER STARS

"PHIL Collins knows he can't say anything about me because I'm the f***ing b******s and that's the thing that does his head in. And the fact that he's bald."

"KYLIE Minogue is just a demonic little idiot. She doesn't even have a good name. It's a stupid name, Kylie, isn't it?"

"THE Backstreet Boys? They should be shot." (TO Michael Hutchence when he presented Oasis with a Brit Award in 1996)

"Has-beens shouldn't be presenting awards to gonna-bes."

"I WENT to Paul McCartney's daughter Stella's party and who should open the door but the man himself. He was dead cool. There were all these questions I wanted to ask him but I settled on 'Do you watch Brookside?'"

"ROBBIE Williams is just the fat dancer from Take That."

"KEANE? Traditionally speaking, the three biggest tw*ts in any band are the singer, the keyboardist and the drummer. Need I say more?"

..ON THE ROCK 'N' ROLL LIFESTYLE

"I CAME from a s***hole in Manchester, right, so it was all brilliant to me. Even touring in a transit van was better than being in my flat. Then when we got a deal, we were like: 'Bring it on!' I wanted the big hairdo, big shades, big car, big house, swimming pool, jet, drug habit, a mirrored top hat and a chimp. All of it."

"BY the time you get to Be Here Now, we're the biggest band in the world and you just try to second guess everything. You stop doing what comes naturally and you start to act like you're the biggest band in the world. You start wearing fur coats and sunglasses to breakfast and all that."

"ME and Bonehead would just walk into a hotel room and empty it out the window."

"WE'VE got a rule in the band - no matter what trouble you're going to get into, never get arrested in a country that doesn't use your own alphabet. Get arrested anywhere that uses your alphabet and you're basically all right. But if you get arrested in a country that uses squiggles or a box or a line instead of proper letters, you're f***ed, mate, you're never coming home."

"WHAT would you rather read? 'The guy from Keane's been to a rabbit sanctuary 'cos one of the rabbits needed a kidney implant, so he swapped his with it' or 'Liam Gallagher sets fire to policeman in cocaine madness while Noel runs down Oxford Street nude'?"

"AS soon as people realise that the majority of people in this country take drugs, then the better off we'll all be. It's not like a scandalous sensation or anything like that. Drugs is like getting up and having a cup of tea in the morning."

"I STAND in the queue at Waitrose. More rock stars should do that. The staff in my local Waitrose are really blase about me now. They'll be like, 'Him? Oh, he's in here all the f***ing time. And between me and you, he doesn't eat very well.'"

..ON BEING A DAD

"MY daughter's the spitting image of me, which is not a good thing for a little girl."

"SHE'LL go to the local posh school but it won't be grooming her for stardom or anything, she'll be a lawyer. Or, hopefully, she'll be a lawyer who doubles as a doctor - then she can f*** up operations and not be arsed about getting sued."

..ON WEALTH

"I'VE got everything I want. I could go and buy two of everything now but that just gets boring.""GO out and buy the album, lads, I need to build another car park for the helicopter."

..ON AMERICA

"AMERICANS just fundamentally do not get it. That is the one thing about Yanks, right? They. Do. Not. Get. It. Whatever it is, they don't f***ing get it."

..ON LIVE 8

"CORRECT me if I'm wrong, but are they hoping that one of these guys from the G8 is on a quick 15-minute break at Gleneagles and sees Annie Lennox singing Sweet Dreams and thinks, 'F*** me, she might have a point there, you know?'"

..ON THAT DOWNING STREET PARTY

"I DON'T feel any shame about that. The picture's a bit s*** because I have a glass of champagne in my hand. And I was wearing a cheap suit and that's not f***ing like me. But I have no regrets about going. I was only in my 20s at the time, and I thought, 'He wants to meet ME? Well, f***ing bring it on.'"

..ON AWARDS

"WOW, what an afternoon! Of all the NME awards this one has certainly been the most... recent."

Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Burnage, Manchester, England) is an English songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the English rock band Oasis. He is the older brother of Oasis lead vocalist, Liam Gallagher, the two of whom are famous for publicly squabbling.

In the 1990s, Gallagher was centre-stage of what the media coined the Britpop movement. The band enjoyed much critical and commercial success. His outspoken opinions on other bands and modern culture have, more recently, earned him something of an "elder statesman" reputation, leading NME to dub him "The wisest man in rock".

Biography

Early years

Gallagher was born in Longsight, Manchester, to Irish parents Peggy and Peter Gallagher. He is the middle child of three — his older brother, Paul, was born in 1966, and Liam was born 1972. The Gallagher brothers grew up in the suburb of Burnage. Noel had an unhappy childhood. He and his brothers were often beaten by his alcoholic father, and he was often reclusive — Liam described him as "the weirdo in the family" As the oldest child, Paul was given a room to himself, and Noel was forced to share with Liam. His childhood nickname was Brezhnev, after the former Soviet leader known for his bushy eyebrows. The Gallagher brothers were regular truants — as teenagers, they were often in trouble with the police. They allegedly broke into cars and stole bicycles, and at the age of thirteen, Noel received six months' probation for robbing a corner shop. It was during this period of probation, with little else to do, that Gallagher first began to teach himself to play guitar, imitating his favourite songs from the radio. Many claim that Gallagher was first turned on to music at his first gig, a Stone Roses show at the International Two club. While this may be true of his younger brother, and Gallagher, by pure coincidence, was also at the gig, he claims that this was neither his first gig (that distinction belongs to Irish band Stiff Little Fingers), nor was it the one that first made him seriously consider being a musician. Apparently the gig in question was another Mancunian band, The Smiths.

At some point in the early 1980s (sources vary), Peggy left her husband due to his violent mood swings brought about by his alcoholism, taking their three boys with her and according to the eldest brother Paul, the only item the family left their father was the carpet. Noel has since maintained a strained relationship with his father, not withstanding periods in the 1980s in which all the Gallagher siblings (along with numerous cousins and uncles), at one time or another, worked for their father's construction company. Other jobs Gallagher held include writing signs for an estate agent, as well as working in a bed factory and a bakery.

Having left his father's building company, Noel took a job at another building firm sub-contracted to British Gas. There he sustained an injury when a heavy cap from a steel gas pipe landed on his right foot, crushing it. Following a period of recuperation, Gallagher was offered a less physically demanding role in the company's storehouse, freeing up time in which to practise guitar and write songs. Gallagher now claims to have written at least three of the songs on Definitely Maybe in this storehouse (including "Live Forever" and "Columbia"). Much of the late 1980s found Gallagher unemployed and living in a bedsit, occupying his time with recreational drug use, songwriting and guitar playing. This was not helped by the fact that he suffers from dyslexia.

Gallagher's musical interests at the time revolved largely around British rock music, most notably The Beatles, whose influence is heavily reflected in his songwriting. Other influences were T.Rex, The Rolling Stones, Slade, The Kinks, and more contemporary bands such as The Smiths and The Stone Roses. Gallagher has been criticised for plagiarising his greatest influences — for example, he has used the opening guitar riff from T.Rex's 1971 hit "Get It On" in "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (1994).

Oasis

In 1988, Gallagher auditioned to be vocalist for the band Inspiral Carpets. Though rejected for the position, he was hired by the band as a guitar technician and toured with the band for some years along with his friend Mark Coyle. In 1992, he returned from an American tour with the band to find that his brother Liam had become the lead singer with a local band. Originally called "The Rain", Liam had pushed for the band to be called "Oasis". It transpired that Liam had joined the band with the hope of adding his brother, and his songwriting abilities, to the formula. Gallagher attended one of their concerts at Manchester's Boardwalk, finding himself unimpressed by the group's act. After persuasion from Liam, he agreed to join the band, on the condition that he maintain creative control of the group and become its sole songwriter. His control over the band in its early years earned him the nickname "The Chief".

At the end of 1992, Gallagher contacted Tony Griffiths of Liverpool band The Real People (who he had met when they were supporting The Inspiral Carpets), and arranged to record a professional-sounding demo at their Liverpool studio. The resulting tape, known as the Live Demonstration tape, later formed the basis for their first album.

In May 1993, the band heard that a record executive from Creation Records would be scouting for talent at a club in Glasgow called King Tut's. Together, they found the money to hire a van and make the six-hour journey to the city. When they arrived, they were refused entry to the club as they were not on that night's set list, forcing the band to bully their way in. They were given the opening slot and impressed the scout, Alan McGee, who then took the Live Demonstration tape to Sony America and invited Oasis to meet with him a week later in London, at which point they were signed to a six-album contract. Gallagher has since claimed that he only had six songs written at the time, and has put his success in the interview down to "bullshitting". However, McGee believes that when they met, Gallagher had fifty or so songs written, and merely lied about how prolific he had been following the contract.

Oasis' first single, "Supersonic", was released April 11, 1994 and peaked at #31 on the official UK charts, despite Gallagher's claims that he wrote it in "the time it takes to play the song." "Supersonic" preceded Definitely Maybe, Oasis' debut album, which was released in 1994 and was a critical and commercial success. It became the fastest-selling debut album in British history at the time, and entered the UK Charts at #1. However, Gallagher faced problems when it became apparent that, on the album's second single, "Shakermaker", he had used the melody from "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (the song made famous from its use on Coca-Cola advertisements in the 1970s). In fact, the first verse of "Shakermaker" had originally been the same as the verse used in the advert. Gallagher's unlicensed use led to Oasis being successfully sued by The New Seekers for A$500,000. His songwriting landed the band in trouble again in 1994, when Neil Innes, formerly of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, successfully sued on the basis that a substantial part of the melody of Oasis' first UK top 5 hit, "Whatever", was taken from his song "How Sweet to Be an Idiot".

Despite their rapidly growing popularity, Gallagher briefly left Oasis in 1994 during their first American tour. The conditions were poor, he felt the American audience — still preoccupied with grunge and metal — did not understand the band. (Liam summed up his view of the problem saying, "Americans want grungy people, stabbing themselves in the head on stage. They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don't get it." Tensions mounted between him and Liam, culminating in a fight after a disastrous L.A. gig. Having effectively decided to quit the music industry, he flew to San Francisco without telling the band, management or the crew. It was during this time when Noel wrote "Talk Tonight" as a "thank you for the girl he stayed with, who "talked him from off the ledge". During recording sessions for Oasis' second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, the Gallaghers had a violent fight involving a cricket bat, when a drunken Liam invited everyone from a local pub back into the studio whilst Noel was trying to work. Further problems arose when tension mounted between Noel and Tony McCarroll (then the drummer of Oasis), and, in 1995, the band asked McCarroll to leave. He was replaced by Alan White.

Britpop, the height of fame and the Blur rivalry

On the back of Definitely Maybe, Oasis quickly gained a strong following in Great Britain. Gallagher's extensive catalogue of songs — ironically written in the storehouses and the bedsits he had so bemoaned — were the fuel behind Oasis' success in the 1990s, and made him a rich and respected man. They won him acclaim from critics and peers, such as Sir George Martin, producer for The Beatles, who stated "I consider Noel Gallagher to be the finest songwriter of his generation".

Gallagher followed up the debut in 1995 with Oasis' first UK #1 single in "Some Might Say". This preceded their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Though it suffered initial critical apathy, the album became the second fastest-selling album in the UK, entering the UK album charts at #1 and peaking at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Morning Glory became the springboard to mainstream commercial success for Gallagher and the band. Noel and Liam became household names, and as the momentum of the album built, Oasis went on to become one of the most popular and successful British acts of the 1990s. The album even propelled the band to success in the United States, albeit temporarily. The track "Cast No Shadow" was written for Richard Ashcroft, the lead singer of The Verve. Around the same time, Ashcroft wrote "A Northern Soul" for the album of the same name for Gallagher.[16] Oasis had become so popular that a June 1996 NME article argued that "If Noel Gallagher, the most successful songwriter of his generation, champions a group, then said group are guaranteed more mainstream kudos and, quite possibly, more sales."[17] The NME article grouped the bands Gallagher praised, including The Boo Radleys, Ocean Colour Scene, and Cast, under the banner of "Noelrock".

However, Morning Glory's success also laid partly in a well-documented feud with fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands, Oasis being gritty, working-class, and Northern, and Blur being art rock, middle-class, and Southern, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the supposed rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the 1996 BRIT Awards by singing a rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their "Best British Band" award (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life"). However, it was Noel who proved the most aggressive, telling The Observer that he hoped Damon Albarn and Alex James of Blur would "catch AIDS and die".[18] He subsequently apologised[19] for this in a formal letter to Melody Maker magazine. Much banter was exchanged between the bands (including Albarn threatening to "twat" Noel), but in a 1997 interview Gallagher maintained "I've got nothing against him… I just think his 'bird' (Justine Frischmann) is ugly." Gallagher maintains that the rivalry was conceived by the magazine NME and members of Blur's entourage as a ploy to raise their respective profiles on the back of Oasis' success, and that since this point he has had no respect for either party. However, Albarn has suggested the roots of the feud were much more personal.

The success of Oasis and his newfound fame and fortune were not lost on Gallagher, and both he and his brother became famous for their "rock and roll lifestyle". They drank heavily, abused drugs, fought fans, critics, peers, and each other, and made celebrity friends such as Ian Brown, Paul Weller, Mani and Richard Ashcroft. Noel Gallagher was known to spend money extravagantly, buying various cars and a swimming pool, despite the fact he can neither drive, nor swim. He also famously named his house in Belsize Park in London "Supernova Heights" (after the song "Champagne Supernova"), and his two cats "Benson" and "Hedges" after his favourite brand of cigarettes.

Oasis went on to have greater success than Blur with their next two singles, "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger" charting at number 2 and 1, respectively. Originally, Noel had wanted to take lead vocals on "Wonderwall", but Liam insisted on singing it. As compensation, Noel decided he would sing lead vocals on "Don't Look Back in Anger". The latter is now regularly played at Oasis' live shows, with the crowd encouraged to sing the chorus. 1995 also saw Gallagher join his idols Paul Weller, Paul McCartney and close friend and Oasis fan Johnny Depp to form the Smokin' Mojo Filters. The supergroup, assembled by Weller, covered The Beatles' 1969 hit "Come Together" (the song's lyrics "He no Mojo filter" inspiring the name for the makeshift band) for the charity album Help!. Noel has also collaborated with the Chemical Brothers, Ian Brown, The Stands, The Prodigy and Weller, amongst others.

In March 1996, Noel and Liam Gallagher met their father again when a British newspaper paid him to go to their hotel during a tour. Noel left for his room, later commenting "as far as I'm concerned, I haven't got a father. He's not a father to me, y'know? I don't respect him in any way whatsoever". Liam took the opportunity to confront his father and threaten him.

Also in 1996, Oasis sold out two nights at Knebworth, playing to over 250,000 fans. Both nights included acoustic sets featuring a full brass band for the rendition of "The Masterplan". These shows represented the largest crowds ever to see a single act in British history, a feat only topped by Robbie Williams' three night gig at the same venue some years later. Gallagher then provided lead vocals at Oasis' MTV Unplugged set when Liam backed out minutes before the set was due to start. Liam claimed to have been struck down with a "sore throat"; the band later found out that Liam does not like performing acoustically. Noel was further angered when Liam proceeded to heckle him from the balcony while the band performed. Noel was again forced to fill in for Liam on a short North American tour when the lead singer walked out on the tour on August 21, supposedly to buy a house with his girlfriend. Liam returned a week later, but tension between Noel and the rest of Oasis mounted, and on September 11 Noel left the tour, causing many to question the future of the band. Gallagher claims he had intended to finish work on Oasis' next album and then retire to the English countryside, but this never came to pass.

Following the worldwide success of Morning Glory, Be Here Now became Oasis' most eagerly anticipated album to date. As with the previous two albums, all the tracks were written by Gallagher. After an initial blaze of publicity, positive critical reviews, and commercial success, the album failed to live up to long-term expectations, and public goodwill towards Be Here Now was short-lived. The album was ultimately regarded by many as a bloated, over-indulgent version of Oasis, which Gallagher has since blamed on the drug-addicted state and indifference of the band at the time. He was critical of the album even before its release. When asked by an American interviewer what was "new and different" about Be Here Now, he simply replied "It's got a different cover."

Gallagher began to suffer drug-induced panic attacks during this period. His lonely, paranoid state inspired the song "Gas Panic!", subsequently included on the 2000 album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Gallagher claims to have quit drugs on June 5, 1998. He stated in 2001, "I liked drugs, I was good at them. But I'd had panic attacks for about a year and I stopped because I wanted to. After you make the decision, it is quite easy." Between 1993 and 1998, he claims, "I can hardly remember a thing."

Post-Britpop years

After the near-hysterical hyperbole surrounding the release of Be Here Now had started to wane, critical response to the band became calmer and more considered, leading to a media backlash. In 1997, Noel was criticised for attending a high-profile and well-publicised media party at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the newly-elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair, along with other celebrities and industry figures that had supported New Labour in the run-up to the general election. Both brother Liam and Blur's Damon Albarn declined their invitations, with Albarn commenting "Enjoy the schmooze, comrade." The perception of Gallagher as someone now mixing with politicians — and, in particular, a famous photograph of him sipping champagne with Blair — conflicted with the "working class hero" status championed through songs such as "Up in the Sky".

The turn of the century did not bode well for Gallagher. In 1999, Bonehead quit the band after a row with Noel, with Guigsy following soon afterwards. As a result, the fourth studio album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, was recorded by just the Gallaghers and White, with Noel playing all guitar parts. Gallagher appeared unfazed with Bonehead's departure, commenting, "It's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles, is it?". After the recording sessions were completed, Gallagher selected Gem Archer to join in place of Bonehead. Though Archer's official role is rhythm guitarist, in reality, he and Gallagher now often split the roles of lead and rhythm guitar.

1999 also saw the end of Creation Records as Mcgee decided to quit Creation and sell the rest of the 51 % of shares to Sony as he had became fed up with the label and Sony. Gallagher took this opportunity to set up Big Brother, which now handles Oasis' distribution in the UK (Sony/Epic Records continues to handle the band's international distribution as of 2005). The name refers the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty Four, but is mainly a reference to Gallagher[citation needed], as the elder brother of Liam. Each release's catalogue number is prefixed "RKID" (our kid), as a reference to Liam. The first Big Brother release was the single "Go Let It Out" on February 7, 2000, the lead single from Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The single peaked at number one in the UK chart. The album also customarily peaked at number one, but was met with an even greater level of contempt by the critics than their previous effort. Around the time of the album's release, Andy Bell, formerly of Ride, joined the band as bassist.

2000 also saw Gallagher's rivalry with Damon Albarn rear its head once more, having cooled off in the late 1990s. In response to a comment made by Gallagher, decrying him as a "knobhead" who "dresses like a dustbin man", Albarn accused his old foe of selling out, saying "I just think it was a shame when they started appearing in Hello! and OK! magazines… For me it seemed such a betrayal of what they were all about."

In 2006, it was claimed that Gallagher had been instrumental in Italy winning the 2006 Football World Cup. According to Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero, Gallagher was the Italian Football team's lucky mascot for the 2006 World Cup. Gallagher struck a friendship with the Italian star after he appeared at some of their Italian gigs. He was invited to the World Cup by Del Piero, and was the inspiration behind Italy's semi-final victory over Germany, in which Del Piero scored. Gallagher was asked to be in Berlin for the final, and he proved to be the lucky mascot for Del Piero as the striker scored one of the penalties in the shootout to decide the destiny of the World Cup. Gallagher, like brother Liam, is well-known to be a Manchester City supporter.

In November 2006, Gallagher won a Spanish court case against fellow musician Mike Oldfield. Gallagher had bought the Ibiza villa for £2.5 million from Oldfield in 1999, but quickly discovered that part of the cliff-top property was falling into the sea. He was also annoyed by the huge "eyesore" of a yacht moored in his view — but it turned out it was his with the house. Gallagher and girlfriend Sara MacDonald spent summer 2006 at the villa, and the resulting court case paid Gallagher a six-figure sum in compensation.

In late 2006, Gallagher toured the UK, Europe, Japan, America and Australia in a series of acclaimed intimate semi-acoustic gigs accompanied by Gem Archer and Terry Kirkbride on percussion. The show proved successful and a further series of sets took place in 2007. March 2007 saw Gallagher perform in Moscow — the first time an Oasis member has performed in Russia. The set list included acoustic Oasis songs such as "Married With Children", "Half the World Away" and "Talk Tonight" as well as acoustic versions of Oasis favourites such as "Don't Look Back in Anger", "Slide Away" and "Fade Away" as well as a version of "Wonderwall" similar to the Ryan Adams cover of the song. A version of The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" was also included. However, Gallagher dismissed claims that he was planning to embark on a solo career, saying "I could do it easily but if I was a solo artist I would be the biggest solo artist in the country easy, no messing, within a year...seriously... but I prefer being in a band. But don't ever think that I couldn't do it. I could. I'd be bigger than Elvis. I would." Gallagher's solo shows proved so popular that in April 2007, Michael Eavis announced his desire to convince him to do a set at Glastonbury 2007, with Gallagher showing a desire to appear in the acoustic tent as "second on the bill on the [secondary] stage" is "the best slot".[37] Gallagher has also admitted considering working a solo album using songs which he has written, but which would not suit Oasis although the official Oasis website has since rubbished these reports.

On Valentines Day 2007 Gallagher joined the rest of Oasis to collect the "Outstanding Contribution to Music" Award at the Brit Awards 2007. Gallagher collected the award from his friend Russell Brand, saying "We'd like to thank everyone who has bought our records. It's been a fucking pleasure." Following the ceremony he commented on the award saying ""Yeah, we're finally up there with The Eurythmics, Sting and Bob Geldof. I don't think congratulations are in order, to be honest." Gallagher clarified his decision to accept the award stating "We're taking it now because otherwise they're going to ask us every year. It seemed the right time. We'd put out Stop the Clocks and we're all under 40. So we just decided, 'Fuck it, lets do it now'."

Noel Gallagher appeared at the "Manchester Versus Cancer" event on 30th March 2007 at the MEN Arena. Headlining alongside big names such as Ian Brown, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Charlatans, Gallagher wowed the crowd with a selection of acoustic fan-favourite classics. He covered "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths and dueted with Paul Weller for Jam classic "The Butterfly Collector". The tickets were not selling too well originally, possibly due to the high price of the tickets, but once Noel announced he was playing the gig, tickets sold amazingly quick and reached high prices on eBay.

No, it’s not Noel Gallagher, it’s Jimmy the chimpanzee — a gift from his cheeky pals to mark his milestone 40th birthday.

The Oasis star received a zoo’s certificate of sponsorship for Jimmy at his birthday bash at London’s cool Kitts on Saturday night.

The Manc musician always joked that when he became famous he wanted a pink Rolls Royce, top hat, mirrored sunglasses and a pet monkey.

And now he’s got the lot.

Noel has grafted for the last 15 years to earn “legendary” status thanks to a back catalogue of timeless tunes.

He has also rewritten the book on how to be a true rock ’n’ roll star.

Here I’ve spoken to some of his pals. Their goodwill messages show what a top bloke he is . . . Paul Welller said: “Happy birthday Noel mate. Here’s to the next 40 years.” Italian football maestro Alessandro Del Piero said: “Hey Noel how are you? So, finally, today you’re supposed to become sorta adult?

“I’d like to wish you all the best and many many happy returns of the day, man.

“You’re one of the most gifted artists in the world and a good supporter of myself and of the Italian national team too.

“You know we’ll have plenty of great memories to share (remember Dortmund and Berlin?) when we turn 80. Take care, keep rockin’ and always keep the dream alive!”

Another close pal is Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian. He said: “Noel is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and a proper, genuine geezer.

“He’s an inspiration to our generation both as a musician and man.”

Former M People star Mike Pickering is a regular at Man City games with Noel. Mike, who now works in A&R and signed The Gossip, said: “I’m a decade older than Noel but I still look a lot better than him because I searched for the hero inside myself, and found it. Happy birthday mate.”

Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne said: “Happy Birthday Noel. Oasis are the best band in the world.”

Manchester City veteran Mike Summerbee said: “Apart from being a great musician, he is very sincere and a nice person. People just see that image he portrays in the band but he is a superb fella.

“I am very privileged to have been in his company and be called a friend. I’d like to wish him a happy 40th.”

The champagne might not have been flowing at Noel Gallagher's sedate birthday party but brother Liam put the supernova into his night by buying him a trip into space.

And Noel was so tickled pink by his argumentative little bro's £107,000 gesture that the pair shared a hug rather than the costomary spat at poncey Kitts nightclub in London.

The bash was a tasteful and calm affair, all the more fitting to mark the elder rock statesman's 40th birthday, and a far cry from the knees-ups the pair shared growing up in Manchester's lively Burnage.

But Liam was determined to grant a boyhood dream for Noel by ensuring the ambition immortalised in Oasis B-side Do You Wanna Be A Spaceman? would come to fruition.

Noel wrote the ditty while he was working for British Gas but it's taken two decades to make it happen.

Plus the elder Gallagher will have to wait until 2012 to take his Virgin Galactic voyage on SpaceShipOne.

A source told us: "Noel's party was a tame affair, mainly because he and his partner Sara are expecting theirfirstchild.

"It was quite funny when Liam gave Noel the documents. They were very blokeyabout it but emotional after a few beers.

"They shared a hug but Liam was soon taking the piss out of Noel. He seemed very amused that William Shatner is also going to space too and started saying Noel could be his Spock, then came the Thunderbirds jibes.

They say life begins at 40 ...but Britpop bad boy Noel Gallagher has already had one few could even dream of.

Tomorrow the Oasis frontman celebrates the big 4-0 after partying with brother Liam, Paul Weller and David Walliams at the weekend.

Noel didn't come dressed as Stalin as he'd threatened, nor did he top Elton John's lavish 60th-birthday celebrations with a tyrants and despots night as he'd claimed.

But then it seems Noel is more talk than action nowadays.

He's too busy enjoying his millions and is most often spotted shopping with pregnant girlfriend Sarah MacDonald, not staggering out of clubs.

He once wrote of Cigarettes And Alcohol but says he'll cut back his smoking when he turns 40 and is happier with aslower pace, penning the middle-age anthem The Importance Of Being Idle.

NME calls him "the wisest man in rock", but it has to be said Noel doesn't rock as much as he used to.

While brother Liam continues to act daft, the pair are shadows of their former hell-raising selves.

As Noel eases into middleage, he can be proud of influencing a new generation of guitar bands, including Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and Dundee outfit The View.

After he invited The View to support a solo gig for the Teenage Cancer Trust, guitarist Peter Reilly said: "Oasis are the reason we are in aband, so it's an absolute privilege".

With acoustic shows and an Outstanding Contribution To Music Award at this year's Brits, Noel is trading on his past glories.

And he knows it. Before the Brits, he said: "We're finally up there with the Eurythmics, Sting and Bob Geldof. So I'm not sure that congratulations are in order."

Back in the Nineties, Noel didn't invent Britpop but he certainly became its godfather.

After Suede and Blur created Britain's anti-grunge answer to American bands such as Nirvana, Oasis became its undoubted stars.

Noel, the middle of three Manchester brothers, was often beaten by his alcoholic dad.

Liam called him "the weirdo in the family" and, after some dead end jobs, he auditioned to be the singer for Inspiral Carpets in 1988. He didn't get it but was hired as a guitar technician, returning in 1992 from an American tour to find his brother Liam was lead singer of local band The Rain.

Noel joined the group and as Oasis they were discovered by Scots label boss Alan McGee at King Tut's in Glasgow. The rest, as they say, is history. Oasis made music both teenagers and dads could enjoy.

It brought people together like no other rock music in the Nineties, as anyone who was at their Loch Lomond gig will testify.

Noel and Liam claimed they were the biggest band in the world. They were arrogant, foul-mouthed, drug taking, working-class louts.

Claiming he sprinkled cocaine on his cornflakes, Noel said he hoped Britpop rivals Damon Albarn and Alex James of Blur would "catch Aids and die".

When they released third album Be Here Now in 1997, it became the UK's fastest selling long-player.

A month before, Noel and former wife Meg had been invited by Tony Blair to an official reception at No.10. With Blair about to quit as PM, his legacy mired in Iraq, what of Noel's legacy?

While Oasis failed to break America, they have been a major influence on many new acts, the biggest being Arctic Monkeys.

"When I first met them, they came into our dressing room and Alex was saying he got a guitar because of Oasis," said Noel.

Lucky Oasis fans at Glastonbury Festival will be amongst the first to have a chance to see the full-length (94 minute) version of the band’s documentary tour film, “Lord Don’t Slow Me Down”, when it is screened at 2am on Sunday 24th June on the massive outdoor screen on the festival site.

“Lord Don’t Slow Me Down” was directed by renowned promo director Baillie Walsh, and compiled from a year’s filming with the band on their mammoth “Don’t Believe The Truth” world tour 2005/6. It follows one of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands behind the scenes and in front of the fans, across the globe. With unique access to the band throughout the tour, “Lord Don’t Slow Me Down” is the ultimate Oasis documentary and a must see for fans.

This will be one of the only opportunities this year to see the film prior to its release later this year on dvd, and the next best thing to having the band play live at the festival.

Alan White, born 26 May 1972, in Eltham, South London, is an English drummer. He was the drummer of English rock group Oasis between 1995 and 2004.

Before Oasis (1987-1994)

Alan White was a highly regarded studio drummer before joining Oasis. In 1987 he joined future Oasis member Gem Archer's band Whirlpool."He came down and just blew us all away," remembers Archer [1].. "I thought he was mega but the others were worried what a 15-years-old kid on the road and on the lager would be like. I rang his dad and told him: 'Sorry. But don't worry he's fantastic. He'll go all the way.' And he did. It was the weirdest day when he welcomed me to Oasis. And he hasn't let me forget it." White also played drums on Andy Bell's wife's solo album, forming a connection with another future Oasis member. Prior to joining Oasis, White drummed with London-based band Starclub.

White's brother, Steve White had played with Paul Weller's Style Council and various other famous musicians, including The Who. Because of this famous connection, Alan mentioned that Steve impacted greatly his development as a drummer. His other influences include Ringo Starr, Chad Smith, Mick Avory, and John Bonham.

White replaced original Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll in May 1995 and was immediately "thrown in the deep end", joining the band the very next day to perform a playback of Some Might Say in front of a national TV audience on BBC1's long running music programme Top of The Pops. One of White's first live shows with Oasis was in front of a massive crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1995.

Until the arrival of Gem Archer and Andy Bell in the Autumn of 1999, White was the token southerner in the otherwise Mancunian Oasis. Initially known, inventively, as 'Whitey', he was later re-christened 'Dave' by the band because he once served himself a drink from an unattended bar, therefore resembling the character Dave from "The Winchester" in the '70s TV series Minder. White commented on the "North/South divide" saying it was not that bad, but "for ages I was the 'Cockney cunt' and they were the 'Manc fuckers'". In his book "What's the Story?" Ian Robertson stated that White was also known by the phrase "Alan White - He's alright".

Oasis Career (1995-2004)

White was also entrusted with the job of being Liam Gallagher's 'official' drinking partner and was also said to be his best friend in the band. Together the pair were known as 'Bert and Ernie', named after the Sesame Street-characters. In December 2002 Liam and White were involved in a high-profile brawl in a German bar. Consequently, Liam lost some of his front teeth and was arrested by the authorities. Alan, however, was inebriated and had a brain scan in a hospital afterwards after suffering minor head injuries.

Noel has stated that Alan had a far greater significance to the band than a mere session and touring drummer, claiming that he helped immensely in the recording process[citation needed]. Noel also said that when he wrote a song he would play it to White who would often adapt the rhythm of the song or advise Gallagher on possible changes in the tempo.[citation needed] However, his style has been criticised for contributing to some of the bands more overblown moments, which earned Oasis' 1997 Be Here Now and 2000 Standing on the Shoulder of Giants a critical panning.

At the time of his departure White was the longest serving member in Oasis beside the Gallaghers and passed through thin and thick with the band. He had supported the act from their years of glory during the Britpop hysteria and to their fall-out at the end of the decade. Although that longtime performers Paul McGuigan and Paul Arthurs quit the band during times of pressure, he decided to stay on with the band. The Gallaghers, for their part, have referred to White as the "best fucking drummer" they've ever played with.

Alan performed on 4 of Oasis' 6 studio albums: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), Be Here Now (1997), Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000) and Heathen Chemistry (2002). He also played on the majority of band's b-sides, some of which were released on the b-side record The Masterplan (1998).

White married model Liz Atkins on 13 August 1997 at Studley Priory Hotel, Oxfordshire. He had met her on the set of the "Don't Look Back in Anger" music video. The couple divorced in 2000.

Departure From Oasis

In early 2004, White surprisingly left Oasis during the early recording sessions for the band's sixth album. According to Oasis' spokesperson there were some new tracks and demos with White's performance as well, which were made at the end 2003 and early 2004 at the first sessions for their upcoming album, before his surprising departure. Due to his departure, the band scrapped the first midway sessions and later suffered some prolonged and difficult recording for Don't Believe the Truth (2005).

In a recent interview, Noel also alluded to White's personal problems: "He's a fucking great guy and he's one of the best drummers I've ever met in my life, but his personal life is fucking chaos," a possible reference to White's alleged romantic woes.

The rumours surrounding White's departure, either revolved around his past tendonitis problem or the false accusations of his leaking Heathen Chemistry. Amidst all the turmoil, Steve White, Alan's brother, explained to a fan in early 2005 that his brother was just tired and didn't want to be in Oasis anymore, so he left to patch up his relationship with his girlfriend; "The spirit of being in a band was kicked out of him." However, Steve reassured the Oasis fan that his brother was in a good mood and condition and hinted that Alan possibly can continue his drumming – "Perhaps some time soon, but he is very happy and very healthy and keeping very well". He currently resides in the Chicago suburbs with the love of his life, Christine.

White was replaced with Zak Starkey – The Who drummer and the son of The Beatles' legend Ringo Starr. Ringo particularly was cited as one of White's biggest drumming influences.

In March 2007, the remaining members of Oasis paid White £348,000 to buy him out of their company "Definitely Maybe", in order to free place for Zak Starkey as an official drummer and member of the band.

Post-Oasis

For his part, White has kept a low profile since his departure, excluding a statement to a drumming site, where he said that the tendonitis rumours are "utter shit" and that the reasons are others. As of January 2007, 3 years after his departure of the band, White has remained out of the spotlight and he has no familiar drumming occupations at the moment.

His brother Steve has explained a couple of times in his website that Alan "is just having a nice time, he has pursued other interests in business. At the moment he has no plans at the minute to get behind the drums, his departure from the band left him with the feeling that the music business is full of bullshit and bullshitters."

VH-1 experts will decide this weekend which UK city is the best for music.

It doesn't matter whether it's Franz Ferdinand, Travis or Darius, everybody loves to see a star act from their home town doing well.

But this weekend the argument over which city is the rock capital of the UK will be settled.

Eight locations across Britain and Ireland are doing battle in a head-to-head contest on VH-1.

Glasgow, home to Travis, Wet, Wet, Wet, Simple Minds among others, is the only Scottish contender in the VH1 Nation's Favourite Music City and is taking on Birmingham, Dublin, London, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackwood and surrounding areas in Wales.

Experts will compare the success of artists and calculate the winning location by seeing which city's stars have amassed the most No.1s in the last 20 years. Here is a guide to the country's most successful rock cities

GLASGOW

AS the only Scottish representative, we need to hope that the combined skills of Darius, Michelle McManus and Wet Wet Wet take Glasgow over the top.

With two of the best live venues - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and The Barrowland Ballroom - Glasgow has a proud tradition of rocking out and is in with a decent shout.

Primal Scream, Fairground Attraction, Edwyn Collins, The Bluebells, The Fratellis, Franz Ferdinand, Simple Minds, Texas, Altered Images, Travis and Belle and Sebastian all hail from Glasgow. While Lanarkshire acts like Soup Dragons and The Jesus and Mary Chain get a shout and Paisley's Paolo Nutini and Gerry Rafferty are included by proximity.

The Irish capital has had a huge influence on music in the British Isles and around the world, enjoying some incredible chart-topping acts, as well as a seeming monopoly on clean-cut boy-band stars.

U2 are the worldwide kings of rock 'n' roll, while Sinead O' Connor, The Corrs, Samantha Mumba, and even Enya have all done well.

In terms of manufactured pop acts, the Fair City is also home to B*Witched, Boyzone, Westlife and solo efforts from Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden.

Boyzone's Shane Lynch said: "I think Dublin should be crowned the nation's favourite music city because of the large amount of bands that have been successful worldwide."

LIVERPOOL

If it was a poll of all-time number one stars, then Liverpool would be the clear winner thanks to the Fab Four.

But since The Beatles are no longer with us, it's down to the more modern Liverpool-born pop stars to carry on the proud tradition.

Atomic Kitten, Sonia, The La's, The Farm, The Zutons, Lightning Seeds, OMD and Melanie C are all flying the Merseyside flag.

Ex-Atomic Kitten singer Liz McClarnon said: "We have had more Number Ones (56 to be precise) than any other city in the world."

MANCHESTER

The rivalry between the two major cities of north-west England will be fuelled here.

Oasis have been the biggest Manchester band for the last 10 years but the entire Madchester sound will be able to stick their oar in as well.

The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Black Grape, The Smiths, Morrissey, New Order, James, Simply Red, Take That and Joy Division are some of its top acts.

SHEFFIELD

THE former steel capital has become a bit of an indie rock hotspot in recent years as home to uber hip rockers Arctic Monkeys.

They are following in the footsteps of Pulp, Moloko, Def Leppard, Joe Cocker, Heaven 17 and Human League.

Human League's Susan Sulley said: "Sheffield has diversity, vibrancy and good old solid northern working class that makes people stand up and listen. From the 60s to now, and every decade in between, we make music like our steel, strong and it stands the test of time."

BLACKWOOD (WALES)

Blackwood is being highlighted for the vote as it's the home town of Manic Street Preachers. But as Welsh pop acts are so spread around, all bands from Wales are also being considered under the umbrella entry. So as well as the Manics, the success of Catatonia, Tom Jones, the Stereophonics, Goldie Lookin' Chain, Feeder, Super Furry Animals and The Automatic can also be counted as the experts consider the success of our Celtic cousins.

LONDON

As one of the biggest, busiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world, London has also spawned countless generations of great popstars. Classic acts like David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Who all hail from London, while the last two decades have seen hits from bands and singers like Sugababes, East 17, Blur, Madness and Lily Allen.

Blur's Alex James said: "I think London should be crowned the nation's favourite music city because it's obvious."

BIRMINGHAM

As the second largest city in the UK, the Midlands metropolis has produced a pretty diverse batch of musicians over the years, from reggae to pop, heavy metal to dance. Duran Duran, Jamelia, Ozzy Osbourne and his band Black Sabbath, The Streets, Ocean Colour Scene, The Wonder Stuff and UB40 are just some of their favourite sons. Miles Hunt of The Wonderstuff argues their case: "I think Birmingham should be crowned the nation's favourite music city because we didn't pollute the world with the God awful B**tles."

The Nation's Favourite Music City is on VH1, Saturday, May 26, at 7pm.

Johnny Depp twice recorded with British band Oasis. Most notably, he plays lead slide guitar on the track Fade In-Out, from the 1997 album Be Here Now. Noel Gallagher, Oasis's lead guitarist, was allegedly too drunk to perform it himself, so celebrity pal Depp stepped in and nailed the lead on one take.

The Art of songwriting is not dead yet, A must see for all true music lovers !

Vinny Peculiar is the sobriquet for one Alan Wilkes, a Bromsgrove-born, Manchester based singer-songwriter, who writes expertly crafted vignettes of the ironies, agonies and ecstasies of every day existence.Vinny has toured with British Sea Power, Malcolm Middleton and Edwyn Collins and is a regular compere on the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage. Vinny was crowned ‘the Tony Hancock of pop' by UNCUT MAGAZINE and was Artist in Residence at last years Cathedral Arts Festival in Belfast where he where he met Bill Drummond of KLF fame. They have subsequently gone on to collaborate on Bill's infamous SOUP Runs.

Vinny hails from the Worcestershire village of Catshill, a suburban hamlet some fifteen miles south of Birmingham'

Serge Pizzorno drove for fours hours to take up Noel Gallagher's booze challenge – and try to win top spot in my Caners League. The Kasabian star, in Preston for Radio1’s Big Weekend, met Noel at a London bar on Saturday.

If Jose Mourinho is found to have brought his dog into the country without observing the correct procedure, perhaps John Terry should be made to play all Chelsea's away games wearing women's knickers and whenever Frank Lampard takes a corner he should have to breast-feed the opposition's fans.

I imagine the issue will be discussed rationally on the consistently excellent Soccer AM this morning, in my humble view the best football programming available, which I deeply miss while in Hawaii. That looks stupid written down but it's true - you can only marvel at turtles for so long. It never patronises its viewers and it's honest, bright and in tune with the people it caters for.

I was on it once and embarrassed myself a bit by falling over during a headstand, which was another occasion on which I insisted the universe was conspiring against me. This will doubtless be eclipsed on today's show as I understand Noel Gallagher, who has recently come out to me as bisexual, is guesting and will probably spend the entire show evading questions on the FA Cup final, preferring instead to lunge across the delightful Helen Chamberlain and fondle the thighs of dear Tim Lovejoy, which will make for fine viewing and be further evidence that worldly affairs are being maliciously directed by loonies on Olympus."

Noel is on Soccer AM on Sky Sports 1 at 09:00AM this morning (UK Only).

18 May 2007

Eighties children’s show Cheggers Plays Pop could be on the way back, its energetic frontman revealed as he hot footed it to the Black Country for a flying visit.

Housewives favourite Keith Chegwin announced he is in talks with TV bosses to resurrect the show which made him a household name.

Promoting Adult Learners Week and surrounded by scores of line dancing fans at Walsall Town Hall yesterday, the diminutive TV star said he had even been approached by Oasis bad boy Liam Gallagher who was keen to take part in the show’s revival.

In an exclusive interview with the Express & Star Cheggers, clad in jeans and a stetson, said: “They want to bring it back at Christmas but I am not sure about it because they don’t want to do it the way I want to do it.

“The people who were taking part back then were eight to 12 years old and it’s them I want to bring back.”

Indie rockers The Twang have hit the big time - but it seems it's no thanks to Noel Gallagher

The Birmingham band - whose debut single Wide Awake reached No 15 earlier this year -claim the Oasis rocker snubbed them when they tried to give him their demo tape at Glastonbury festival.

"I had my demo in my pocket, and I went over to him and asked him if I could give him my demo," says frontman Phil Etheridge.

"He said no, he didn't have any room. But he had a backpack so I didn't believe him. But I didn't argue - it was Noel Gallagher - I just walked off. I was a bit starstruck then."

He adds: "He probably thought, who is this little knob? I think he said some nice things about us recently, so that's amazing."

But things are about to change for Phil and bandmates Martin Saunders, Jon Watkin, Stu Hartland and Matty Clinton - because this year they're playing Reading and Leeds festivals themselves, which they admit is "a dream".

"We've stood in the crowd at festivals, doing the usual 'It'll be us one year' and now it really will be," says Phil.

The Twang are currently touring the UK. Their next single, Either Way, is out on May 28 and their album, Love It When I Feel Like This, is out on June 4.